Tsubasa Oneshots
by TsubameSutaa
Summary: A bunch of random Tsubasa oneshots that tend to come to my mind when I least expect it. It's appreciated if reviews go individually on each chapter/short. x3
1. The Battle of Seresu

**The Battle of Seresu**

I flew through the hallways of the castle, fear pumping through my veins. The sounds of battle echoed through the air, the harsh clang of steel on steel ringing in my ears. I winced at the sounds; having better-than-human hearing didn't always come in handy.

I rounded a corner and shrieked, barely dodging the out-thrust spear. The soldier shouted triumphantly, alerting the group at his back. I whirled around and raced back the way I came, the cries of the soldiers echoing in my ears as they took up the chase. I had to find him! He fought somewhere in this castle, my maker. He would know what to do.

A commotion came from just up ahead, the shouts of more soldiers, but of alarm instead of hunting. I whipped around the corner--_and there he was!_

"Fai!" I screamed, racing towards him.

He whipped around, his face framed by the white fur of his hood. "Chii, get down!"

I didn't protest, just threw myself to the floor. A bolt of power lanced over my head, missing me by inches. The soldiers behind me screamed, and the smell of magic stung my nose. I didn't rise even after the halls were silent, remaining on the cold stone with my eyes screwed shut. Footsteps came towards me, and a hand gently touched my shoulder. Slowly I tilted my head back and looked up into those jewel-blue eyes.

"Are you all right?" Fai whispered.

I nodded wordlessly, and for the first time I realized I was shaking. I pulled my arms into my chest, trying to slow the frantic beating of my heart. I heard a soft sigh, and Fai's arms wrapped around me, holding me close. I took comfort from the embrace, and slowly I stopped trembling.

It was a while before I felt like I could speak again. I meant to say "I'm fine," but somehow the words got mixed up in my throat and I ended up saying, "I'm scared.

He sighed again. "You'd be a fool not to be," he murmured, stroking my hair. He released me and rose to his feet, using a wisp of magic to summon his staff to him. "Come on, Chii. We have to get to the Hall."

I nodded and rose up into the air again. I took off after him as he raced down the hall, keeping close. Even though what I had said was a mistake, it was true. I was more scared than I had ever been before since my creation. Perhaps it was the battle that still raged in and around the castle. Perhaps it was the knowledge of what awaited us in the Hall. But no matter what it was, I knew I would have to stay by Fai's side.

I drew my attention back to my surroundings, and for the first time I noticed something. "Fai!" I called.

He skidded to a stop and turned around. "What is it, Chii?"

I cocked my head, listening hard. "It's quiet."

Confusion lingered in his gaze for a moment before it cleared, to be replaced with alarm. "Come on!" he shouted, whirling away and sprinting down the corridor. I raced after him, panting as I tried to keep up.

The corridor made a sharp right, and a bank of windows appeared on our left. Fai approached one of the delicately frosted panes of glass and looked out, his face becoming unusually grim. I floated over and peeked out over his shoulder.

There were few forms still out there in the cold night air. The main gate had been decimated, the pieces of it scattered about the courtyard like some inexplicable giant's game. Countless white forms lay out there, unmoving in the night; with a jolt I realized they were bodies. I looked past them, past the dark pools that blossomed beneath them, out to the mainland. The few survivors left were already fleeing, racing across to land. Away from us.

"The battle is over," I whispered.

"The real one has yet to begin," Fai muttered ominously. He turned away from the window. "We have to go."

Together we navigated the now silent halls of the castle, heading down to the Hall. I was afraid to see the end of this short journey, of reaching the Hall. There was still one more battle to be fought here, in the castle of the land of Seresu. The ultimate battle. The wizard verses the king. Fai against Ashura. And only one of them would survive.

The corridor opened up, and suddenly we were standing in the entrance foyer. Fai motioned for me to be silent; I nodded to show I understood. Slowly, the two of us started across the foyer, creeping past the giant double-doors of the castle. One of the doors had been blown off its hinges, lying in splinters across the floor. I forced myself not to look at the white-clad soldiers lying broken among the wood; I had seen enough death and destruction to never want to see it again.

Fai paused before a set of frosted glass doors and turned back to face me. His gaze was calm and collected; I tried to match the same cool look. But I couldn't keep my stomach from twisting at the thought that this could be the last time I ever see him again. He gave me a small smile, trying to reassure me, but it didn't work. Turning, he pushed open the doors and strode inside.

The Hall was a massive cavern, so large I could barely see the roof, the other end of the room not at all. Columns so large I couldn't wrap my arms around them stood in rows all across the room...save for an area in the very center of the Hall. A large pool of water lay there, the surface of it boiling madly. Fai strode across the room towards the pool, his deliberate steps ringing out across the Hall. I followed more slowly, adrenaline pumping through my blood.

Fai reached the edge of the pool and stared into the churning waters, his eyes unreadable. I paused just behind him, fear clutching at me. "Are you going to...?"

"Yes," he replied, laying his staff down and shrugging off his cloak. The markings that held his magic in check stood out starkly against his pale skin. He turned back to me, a smile on his face. "Will you wait for me, Chii?"

I didn't voice my fears aloud to him. He and Ashura were evenly matched. There was every chance that Fai might not come back alive. But still I nodded. I would wait forever for his return.

Fai smiled one last time. "Then I'll see you soon," he said before he turned and dived into the water's depths.

I crouched down at the edge of the pool, trying to see past the white froth. The water was spiked with magic, crackling pale lavender-blue and pulsating dark crimson-black. I was afraid not just at the outcome of the battle, but the aftermath. What would happen if Fai won? Could the country thrive without a ruler? Or would it be laid to waste, with continuous wars and no one to stop them? But would that future be any different from the present? Countless unnecessary battles were fought every day under Ashura's rule. Would his death put an end to it?

But what if Ashura won? I would lose my maker, and possibly... I shook the thought away. There was too much riding on Fai's victory for me to fully ponder.

I don't know how long I knelt by the side of the pool. Eventually the roiling waters settled, and a pulsing glow began emanating from its depths. The colour flashed between red and blue, and my heart pounded ever faster. Soon even the glow faded too.

A hand exploded from the water and grasped the lip of the pool. I tensed, unsure of who would follow. A blonde head emerged, dripping wet, and I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Fai climbed completely from the pool and pulled his shirt back on, ignoring the water that still cascaded across his marking. I glanced back into the waters where, deep below the rippling surface, I spied the still form of Ashura. I sucked in a breath; this victory was only temporary.

"Did you sleep well, my king?" I whispered softly.

"Yes," Fai murmured, his head bowed. "This is the only way I can."

I crouched next to him. "What will you do now, Fai?"

He turned his head to smile at me briefly before leaning back to gaze upwards. "I can't stay in this country anymore," he said softly, wrapping one arm around me and gently stroking my hair. "Maybe not even this world..."

"World?" I echoed.

"I mean this dimension," he clarified, looking down at me again.

"I still don't understand," I muttered, feeling utterly perplexed.

"For you, Chii, that's all right," Fai said, giving me a quick squeeze.

"Whoops, I'm almost out of time."

Fai stood, donning on his cloak again and drawing up the hood. "Chii? I have to be going."

"To where?"

"Someplace far away," he whispered, pacing back to the pool's edge and staring down at the sleeping Ashura. I glanced at him; his face was unreadable. "Someplace with no King Ashura."

For a moment he remained still, then gave a small shake of his head. He held out his hand to his staff and used another wisp of magic to summon it. "But I have a favour to ask of you, Chii."

"What is it?" I queried.

"I'd like you to let me know if the king wakes up," he explained, turning back to me. "So I wonder if it's all right to change you a little."

"It's just fine," I said, brushing my fingers lightly against his cheek. "After all, Fai made Chii!"

Fai smiled gently at me, then stepped back and held up his staff. Magic curled from the crystal in the center as he muttered an incantation under his breath. I felt the magic take hold of me, gently teasing me apart. I closed my eyes, feeling myself stretch out impossibly far across the pool, forming a dome over the swirling waters. I sighed softly before I let myself fall into darkness, into a watchful sleep over the king.

As I had said before, I would wait forever for Fai's return.


	2. The Unbroken Curse

**The Unbroken Curse**

The waters swirled about the cavern, forming a towering whirlpool with a calm space in the center. I shook my head, flinging droplets out of my eyes as I searched for Syaoran. There he was; standing on the same root as I was though closer to the sphere that held Sakura. His head was titled back, magic flowing out of his eye. A symbol appeared above his right eye, one I didn't know, but instantly recognized.

_That soul is yours!_ I thought, taking a half-pace forward as the magic continued to leak out of Syaoran's eye. _It's something that you, and Sakura-chan, and all the people who love you made together!_

_And so..._

I raised my left hand, holding two fingers out. Magic crackled from the tip of my fingers, surrounding me in a maelstrom of power. I had made a promise the day I arrived in Yûko's shop. I would not use magic, not even when I was on the verge of death. But for someone else...As Kurogane said, that was a different question entirely.

_You mustn't lose it!_

I snapped my arm out, releasing a stream of magic. The power reformed into millions of symbols, reaching out to surround the symbol leaking from Syaoran's eye. The two magics collided, crackling and resisting each other like a summer storm. My hand began to tremble, threatening to break apart from the strain. I grasped it with my other hand, trying to hold the magic steady. All the while, I could sense the new symbol that was forming at the bottom of the whirlpool. I didn't have to look to know that it was the same symbol that appeared beneath Mokona every time we crossed dimensions.

My hand shook violently, and suddenly the symbol above Syaoran's eye burst apart. I snapped my wrist, severing the connection just in time. The symbols formed of my magic exploded; I threw my hands up in front of my face and shut my eyes. The wave of power passed, and I dared to open my eyes.

A small sphere was floating where the splintered symbol had been, emblazoned with a design which I recognized as the Ying Yang. Syaoran reached out and grabbed the sphere. Slowly, he lowered his hand, turned it over, and opened it. The sphere floated just above his palm, surrounded by rising ribbons of magic. Syaoran lowered his arm, and the sphere dropped to the ground. It rolled along the root towards me, trailing sparks of magic after it. Just before it would have dropped off the root and tumbled into the rushing waters of the whirlpool, I stooped and grasped it. I closed my hand around the sphere, holding his soul close.

Syaoran paused in front of me, and I rose to face him. His eye was blank and emotionless; I suppressed a shudder as I forced myself to meet his gaze, trying to ignore the gap where his right eye had been.

"Syaoran...kun?" I asked tentatively.

The blow came so fast I didn't even have time to think about dodging. Syaoran's kick struck me on the cheek, literally throwing me off my feet. I landed hard on the root, skidding backwards several feet before coming to a stop. I lay there, winded, as he spoke.

"Was that the only feather in this world?" Syaoran asked softly. His voice carried no emotion whatsoever, just a calm certainty that he would do whatever necessary to achieve his goal. It was a tone that sent icy chills down my spine.

Footsteps came towards me, barely audible over the roar of the waters. They stopped next to me, and fingers tightened around my throat, hauling me upwards until I was gazing into Syaoran's cold blank stare.

"Don't try to use magic," he threatened, tightening his grip on my throat to show that he meant his threat. "Your eyes. They're the source of your magic right?"

He laid his right hand next to my eye, and in that moment my heart stopped. In that moment, I knew exactly what his intentions were. I knew what he was about to do. And I knew that it would spell the end of everything.

"I will need them to get the feathers back."

I didn't stop to think. I slammed my hand against his chest, trying to force the half a soul back within him. Maybe there was time to reseal the spell, to make him Syaoran once more. Part of me knew that it was hopeless, but I still had to try...

Pain exploded in my left eye, and I screamed. Blood gushed forth as Syaoran drew his hand away, suddenly releasing the grip he had on my throat. I fell back against the root; a fleeting though passed through my mind to try and run, but I knew that wasn't possible. I was in too much pain and shock to even try to react.

Syaoran grabbed the front of my shirt, dragging me along the root like a rag doll. I couldn't be sure through the pounding of the blood in my ears, but it sounded like the water had stopped. I let out a small whimper of pain, unable to make a move as I struggled to remain conscious. Half of my magic, gone just like that...

All of a sudden it hit me. The words came, floating back to me through the centuries as if the curse was being laid on me now...

_**But one day, you will, for a particular reason, travel to many and varied places. And when one who bears great magical powers appears before you...**_

_**You will put that one to death!**_

Half of my magic! It wouldn't be enough! All those hundreds of years I had spent, building my power to surpass the one I would meet, all of that, wasted in a single instant. The curse! Maybe I really couldn't break it...

Syaoran lifted his arm, dragging me upwards. I couldn't see, but I could sense his arm reaching out to take my other eye. For a single instant, hope flared in my chest. There was still a way to escape the curse.

"Don't!"

I felt the violent jerk through his arm, wrenching his hand back away from my face. _Kurogane._

No! He couldn't stop him now! Not when the curse was so close to being broken. Damn him, why?!

For a moment, I truly blacked out. Then I felt Syaoran drag me up again, felt his teeth closing on my right eye. Maybe he would succeed after all...

Without warning he was yanked away from me, and I crumpled like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Someone caught me before I hit the ground, lifting me up again. _No!_ Again, Kurogane had stopped him. Again, my chance had been wrenched away from me. Only a small light remained; if I could be let long enough to die from blood loss, or perhaps the shock.

_Knowing him, that won't happen,_ I thought as my world swirled into blackness.


End file.
